Light signal



March 3, 1931. o. s. FIELD LIGHT SIGNAL Filed June 14, 1929 ATTORNEY I INVENTOR D a 5 9 Rwy PIC-31.1.

Fla

uNiTEus ATi-i's I OSCAR s. FIELD, or noonnsrnmi'fnnw YORK, ASSIGNORJ ro GENERAL SIGNAL columnar, or noonnsrna, NEW YORK A Patented Mar. 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY LIGHT SIGNAL Application filed June 14, 192a ser1a1'no. 370,861.

' This invention relates to. railroad light signals and more particularly pertains to an ad j ustable spring suspension mounting for light signals of the movable color screen type.

In practice, light signals are mounted upon railroad ties, cement foundations along the wayside, signal bridges and even. railroad bridges. These various foundations are in such close proximity to the track, that the 10 passage of heavy trains produces vibrations,

which are transmitted to the signals in varymg degrees according tothe particular case involved. In view of these conditions, thepresent invention provides means whereby the severity of the vibrations may be somewhat reduced in particular cases where'it is desirable. This obj ectiveis obtained by provision of a springmounting,.which is peculiarly adaptable to light signals, in as much as it furnishes an adjustable means for varying the angle which the light beam assumes in respect to the plane of the track rails.

With such an arrangement applied to a light signal having amovable' color screen,

2 such for instance as set forth in my pending application Ser. No. 128,437, filed August 10, 1926, additional protection is provided for the pivot points of the movable vane, which if they should become worn and distorted might cause the movable vane. tostick in a clear position producing %a false indication. Sucha condition is ob'viouslyvery' undesirable and the possibility of such an occurrence may be greatly reducediby the application ofthe present-invention. i V:

= In view of the above considerations and otherslit ispropo sed to provide according to the present invention, ameans for mounting light'signals' whereby the severity of-the vibrations due to passing trains may be consid'-. erably, reduced, by the provision of a spring 7 suspension mounting. It is a .furtherobject of'the invention, to provide a spring mounting which 'is adjustable, so that the light beam' of the signal may be directed at various ranges along the track way. i

Otherpbjects, purposes and characteristic features of the present invention willbe in P r b iouslir y ny n ewas included within the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation'of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section, onthe. lines 3-3 of Fig. 2. V U I Referring'now to, the drawings,Fig. 1 shows diagrammaticallya signalof the movable color screen type,hav inga sector I mounted upon a pinionshaft 2, which rotates upon suitable supports under thecontrolling efl'ect of a motor. means 3,:in'such a manner that color screen s mountedupon the sector 1 pass through the focal point of'a light source 4 in conjunction with a reflector 5. Such a light signal of similar arrangement, having a movable color screen, is fully described'in my above referred to application Ser. No. 128,437. i J

In this specific illustration, the sector. 1 pinion shaft'2, motor means 3, light source 4 and reflector 5 are mountedwithin a suitable case 6, which'case 6 is pivotally mounted at two points and 'a-djustably mounted at a third point. i The pivot'points are provided holeslO within the base castinglO and are then secured by nuts 11.

It can be seen fromFigs. 2 and'S, that the plunger bolts are provided with rectangular "heads, which are horizontally supported by 'theyprojections 10 and 10 of thebase casting'10.. Also, theplunger bolts 7 are vertically supported by springs 9, in such a man ner, that said bolts 7 are resiliently urged or biased in' an upward direction Which is limited by the nuts 11, This arrangement allows the plunger bolts"? toslidably move in respect to the'base casting '10 Within holes 10? and the slots provided by projectiohslO and 10 It is also noted by reference to Fig. 2, that horizontal movement is further limited by projections 6 and (S of the casing 6,

which come into v contact with the ections The base casting is of what might be termed Webbed construction, as contrastedwith solid construction, and has a base'plate 10 two leg portions for supporting the two pivoted points of suspension, which leg portions are interconnected by a web forming a support for the ad ustable point of suspension.

forms for mounting signals according to standard practices on signal masts and' bridges, but iorconvenience in showing,this specific illustration has been provided for mounting on the level surface of atie T, bcing secured by suitable lag screws 17 Theadjustable point of suspension is provided by the projections 10", which form a forked shaped member for receiving the ad- 12 and locked into. place by the nut 16 after the spring 14 and grooved washer have been put-into place, so that the plunger bushing 13 is biased to an upward position-with the nut 16 acting as a stop against the projections 10. It is now easily seen, when it is desired to tilt the signal case 6 upon the pivot points provided by the bearingpins 8 in the plunger bolts 7, that it is merely necessary to slightly loosen the lock nut 16 and turn the'plunger bushing 13 on the bolt12, untilthe desired position is obtained and then turn the lock nut 16 tightly against the plunger bushing 13.

It is noted that the projections 10 are formed onan are, so that when the angular position of the light signal-case 6 is altered in respect to the base member 10, the spring 14 and its washer 15 are held in a cup shaped support without being unevenlytensioned.

Also, the nut 16 is thereby providedia curved support by the projections lO fso that said nut 16 assumes a similar position in respect to projections 10 for each adjustment made to said light signal case 6. v'lhe radii 'o't'the are formed by projections 10 coincide with certain of thetangents of a circle having the pivot points of said plunger members 7'as a center, with the radius of said circle perpendicularto said plunger bushing 13 and of a valve equalto the distance between said center of said circle and the center of said plunger bushing 13.

Thus, a means for mounting a. light signal upon a spring cushioned base has been provided, which is readily adjustable and is peculiarly adaptable to li ht signals of the movable color screen type. l

It is to be understood that this-specific 7 It is of course understood, that the. base plate 10? mayeassume many d fferent embodiment of the present invention is given solely by the way of illustration, and that van prising, in combination with a light signal.

case and a fixed base, of two spaced plunger-s pivotally connected to said case and slidably supported and guided by said base for up and down movement, a third plunger fixed to said case and adjustably supported and guided by said base for up and down movement for various angles in a. vertical plane, a spring on each plunger engaging the base and urging said plunger upwardly, and adjustable means on each plunger positively limiting its :upward movement relative to'its said base, whereby said light signal case is resiliently supported in thedifFerent positions in which.

it may be tilted by positioning said adjusting means.

2. 'A structure for adjustably supporting.

lightsigna'ls for railroads comprising incombination, a light signal case, a base member,

plunger bushing,'means'slidably and swingably attaching said plunger bushing to said base member, whereby said light signal case is movably attached to said base member and members sleeved on each of said plunger members, a plunger bushingadjustably at tached to said li 'ht signal case, an adjustable means slidably andswingably mounting said Y plunger bushing to said base member with one of said, coil springs sleeved on said plung er bushing, sald coil springs resiliently supporting said light signal case, whereby said light signal case isresiliently supported in base member. I j p 7 r 4;. A structure for adjustably supporting different adjusted positions in respect to said light signals forrailroads comprising incombination,a light signal case, a base member, a

plurality of coil spring members, a plurality Ian of plunger members pivotally attached to said light signal case and slidably mounted on said base member with one of said coil spring members sleeved on each of said plunger members, a plunger bushing adjustably attached to said light signal case, an adjustable means slidably and swingably mountin said M plunger bushing to said base member wit one of said coil springs sleeved on said plunger bushing, said coil springs resiliently supporting said light signal case, and means including a forked support assuming an are having radii which coincide with certain of the tangents of a circle having the pivot points of said plunger members as a center with the radius of said circle perpendicular to said plunger bushing and of a'value equal to the distance between said center of said circle and the center of said plunger bushing, whereby said light signal case is resiliently supported indifferent adjusted positions in respect to said base member.

5. A structure for adjustably supporting light signals for railroads, comprising a lightsignal case, two plunger members pivotally connected to said light signal case, a plurality of coil spring members, a base member fixedly supporting said plunger member and said light slgnal case against movement horizontally and movably supporting said light signal case in a vertical direction by the interposition of said coil springs sleeved on said plunger members, said plunger members passing through said base member, lock nuts limiting the upward movement of said plunger members, a stud bolt connected to said light signal case, a plunger bushing threaded on said stud bolt, one of said coil springs passed over said bushing, a gooved washer interposed between said coil spring and a supporting portion of said base member, a lock nut threaded on said stud bolt a lock the position of said plunger bushing and to limit the movement of said stud bolt in respect to said base member, whereby said light signal case is'adjustably spring cushioned in respect to said base member. I

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OSCAR S. FIELD. 

